1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food processors. More particularly, the present invention relates to an enclosure for a food processor in which the enclosure has a feed opening and a safety actuator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food processors providing a variety of different types of food preparations including, for example, mixing, chopping, grinding, pureeing, or liquefying are well known. Typically, these food processors have an enclosure for keeping the food that is to be prepared and for protecting against inadvertent mishaps during the preparation process. These enclosures typically have an opening in the form of a hollow tube or chute for receiving a substance into the enclosure that is to be processed. The hollow tube or chute generally extends outwardly from the enclosure at least about 4 inches or more to accommodate a larger amount of food. A pusher is typically required to cooperate with the hollow tube or chute to advance the food via a plunging or pushing action.
These conventional food processors, as described above, suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, the high profile of the typical hollow tube or chute opening occupies both work and storage space, making the device awkward and cumbersome. Further, the extra space provided by the typical hollow tube or chute opening can at times be diverse to a desired type of food preparation as it is often desirable to more closely keep or hold the substance that is to be processed. Still further, the extra cleaning necessitated as a consequence of the relatively large hollow tube or chute opening can be somewhat burdensome to a user.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an enclosure for a food processor that overcomes at least the above noted disadvantages and that further provides greater flexibility in use without compromising safety.